About the Green Schools Program

Schools cover more than 1,400 acres in Philadelphia's combined sewer area, and 67% of these school sites are covered in impervious surfaces such as rooftops and asphalt paving. The Green Schools Program is an effort to build green infrastructure at schools to manage stormwater runoff from these impervious surfaces in order to reduce the impact of combined sewer overflows on Philadelphia's rivers and streams. Green stormwater infrastructure also provides educational opportunities for students and instructors, and enhanced recreational amenities and aesthetic improvements to campuses. The Philadelphia Water Department is working with the School District of Philadelphia, private schools, charter schools, faith-based schools, and parents and Friends of Schools groups, in addition to many other partners, to implement green stormwater infrastructure projects in Philadelphia's schoolyards.

How to Get Involved Investing the time to improve stormwater management in your community not only helps protect our invaluable drinking water sources, but also helps to green the city, restore our waterways and improve the quality of life for all citizens. Nominate your school for green infrastructure improvements on the CIPR page. Apply for a SMIP Grant to help pay for green stormwater infrastructure at your school. Apply for Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) restoration funding to help pay for green stormwater infrastructure at a school in the Schuylkill River Watershed. Check out our Campus Guide to Stormwater Management. For more information, email streetgreening@phila.gov Apply for a service grant for preliminary design services to plan a schoolyard transformation that integrates stormwater management through the Community Design Collaborative. Join the Philadelphia Green Schools Alliance. Check out Transforming Philadelphia Schoolyards, a guide to greening schoolyards.

Educational Resources Green School projects provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the water cycle and engage in outdoor educational activities. The City and its partners offer a variety of educational resources for parents, teachers, and school community groups. Fairmount Water Works Educational Programs Fairmount Water Works Events Understanding the Urban Watershed Curriculum and Teacher Toolbox GreenSTEM Network Educational Resource Guide

Green School Projects

Penn Alexander School
Greenfield Elementary School
George Nebinger Elementary School
William Dick Elementary School
Greene Street Friends School
Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School
W.D. Kelley Elementary School
William McKinley Elementary School
Adaire Elementary School
Warren G. Harding Middle School
Martin Luther King High School
Mayfair Elementary School Settlement Music School
Henry C. Lea Elementary School
Aspira Hostos Charter School
William Cramp School
Taggart School
E.M. Stanton School
John M. Patterson School
Chester A. Arthur Elementary School
Morton McMichael School
Tanner Duckrey School
James G. Blaine Elementary School